Eric Adams’ literacy overhaul slashes number of NYC reading coaches

Mayor Eric Adams’ literacy overhaul has proven to be slashing the number of New York City’s reading coaches.

He is disbanding a key literacy program launched under former Mayor Bill de Blasio, according to sources familiar with the policy shift, raising questions about the new administration’s strategy.

After six years, the education department is winding down its “Universal Literacy” program, which paired coaches with K-2 teachers in more than half of New York City’s elementary schools to improve their reading instruction.

Instead, the city plans to continue to employ reading coaches, but they will work across all grades at an unspecified number of “targeted” elementary, middle, and high schools, officials have said.

There will also be far fewer coaches on hand.

Department officials plan to hire 200 coaches for grades K-5, down from roughly 500 coaches focusing on grades K-2 in prior years.

Officials plan to hire 60 coaches to serve middle and high schools and another 80 staffers to help schools implement dyslexia screenings and analyze the data.

Coaches currently in the program must reapply for the newly created coaching positions.

Some coaches who have been working for years with particular schools say they are seeing results after building those relationships over time and worry about losing the momentum if they’re redeployed or not rehired.

Critics have pointed out that the program’s benefits have been modest and have doubts over whether the current model is worth the cost — roughly $240 million through last year, according to the Independent Budget Office.

Education department officials framed the changes as an expansion of the Universal Literacy program’s mission to reach students across more grade levels.